MARQUETTE, Mich. – The 2026 volleyball season is here, and the Northern Michigan Wildcats are set to open the season at home, hosting the UP North Volleyball Tournament from Thursday through Saturday, Aug. 27-29, at Vandament Arena. The tournament is sponsored by Texas Roadhouse.
Northern will play four matches over the three-day tournament, opening Thursday against Winona State at 2:30 p.m. before facing No. 5 St. Cloud State at 6:30 p.m. The Wildcats will then take on Minnesota Duluth on Friday at 7 p.m. before wrapping up the tournament against Tiffin on Saturday at 4:30 p.m.
The Wildcats enter the season after finishing third in the GLIAC standings in 2025 with a 12-4 conference record. Northern was picked fourth in the 2026 GLIAC Preseason Coaches Poll, behind preseason favorites Ferris State, Grand Valley State, and Wayne State.
Follow the Action
Stay connected with @NMU_Wildcats and @NMU_Volleyball on Instagram and X (formerly Twitter) for updates throughout the tournament.
The tournament page can be found
here.
From Coach Mike Lozier
"I'm happy where we are at in this moment in time and I feel really good going into this weekend. Come October we want to be in discussion to win the conference. We have the resources and we have the athletes and I expect us to be competing at the top of the league."
About the Wildcats
Northern Michigan returns 14 of the 19 players from last season's team, including All-GLIAC Second Team selections
Allie Barlow and
Liesl Haugen.
Barlow, a senior setter from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, is coming off a standout junior season in which she recorded 1,088 assists and averaged 10.06 assists per set, with both marks ranking second in the GLIAC. She enters 2026 with 2,560 career assists, placing her among the top 10 in program history.
Haugen, a senior libero from Maple Grove, Minnesota, anchors a veteran defensive unit after one of the top defensive seasons in the conference in 2025. A three-time GLIAC Defensive Player of the Week, Haugen recorded at least 20 digs in 12 of 24 matches and finished second in the GLIAC with 4.98 digs per set while ranking seventh with 0.40 aces per set.
Along the net, seniors
Kaysie Bakke,
Helen Beiring and
Sydney Bartels, junior
Madison York and sophomore
Kaylie McIntosh all return with valuable experience.
Lauren Cardwell and
Taylor Smaka also provide additional defensive depth after appearing in most matches a season ago.
Northern lost five players from last year's roster, including All-GLIAC First Team selection
McKenzie Gruner. The Wildcats will look to fill those roles with a combination of returning players stepping into larger roles and five newcomers, including four freshmen and transfer
Cece Huizingh.
Head coach
Mike Lozier enters his 10th season at the helm in 2026. With a veteran core returning from last year's third-place GLIAC finish, the Wildcats will look to use their opening weekend at home to build momentum for the season ahead.
Tournament Schedule
Thursday, Aug. 27
St. Cloud State vs. Cal State East Bay - 12 p.m.
Northern Michigan vs. Winona State - 2:30 p.m.
Northern Michigan vs. St. Cloud State - 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Aug. 28
St. Cloud State vs. Tiffin - 9 a.m.
Minnesota Duluth vs. Cal State East Bay - 11:30 a.m.
St. Cloud State vs. Michigan Tech - 2 p.m.
Winona State vs. Tiffin - 4:30 p.m.
Northern Michigan vs. Minnesota Duluth - 7 p.m.
Saturday, Aug. 29
Cal State East Bay vs. Michigan Tech - 9 a.m.
Tiffin vs. Minnesota Duluth - 11:30 a.m.
Michigan Tech vs. Winona State - 2 p.m.
Northern Michigan vs. Tiffin - 4:30 p.m.
